Golf practicing device



I Mqrch 18, 1941. CQNNELL 2,235,358

GOLF mmcncme DEVICE Filed Nov. 16,1959

INVENTOR. Kafka/7276 Z 60/7/7e BY 2 z ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 18, 1941 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the game of golf and particularly equipment that may be employed in practicing so-called pitch shots, and the primary aim is .to provide a device having unique 5 means for receiving and retaining the golf ball so as to indicate to the player the accuracy of his stroke as regards distance and direction.

One of the important aims of the present invention is the provision of a golf practicing device in the nature of a portable unit having as a part thereof, means for receiving and directing the golf ball to specially arranged holders so that the player may determine without approaching .the device, the accuracy of each shot and if the pitch shot which he is practicing, re-

sults in the ball landing in the proximity of an opening in the device which simulates the standard golf cup.

A yet further aim of this invention is to provide a device of the aforementioned character, which comprises a strong and specially formed case wherein is disposed a pair of spaced apart partitions, one of which serves as means for directing the balls toward outlet openings in the vertical wall of the case, after the same have fallen through specially created holes in the other partition.

Specific details of construction form minor objects of the invention and such will appear during the course of the following specification, referring .to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a golf practicing device made in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the device taken on line III'III of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on line IVIV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a similar detailed view taken on line V-V of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detailed sectional view taken on line VI--VI of Fig. l; and

Fig. '7 is a similar view along line VIIVII of Fig. 3.

In practicing approach shots or those commonly termed pitch strokes, it is desirable'that the surface upon which the golf ball is to land should be out of view and recessed so that the path of travel of the ball must of necessity, terminate in a substantially vertical line.

Case 8, therefore, has a circumscribing wall In that forms an open top surrounded by an inturnedlip [2. Case 8 is preferably cylindrical and the upper flanged edge lies in 'a plane inclined with respect to the horizontal. The lowermost portion of the upper annular edge 'of case 8 should be toward the player, while the Wider portion thereof forms a back stop for balls N that are driven into the open top of case 8 through paths of travel that do not terminate upon the surface of floor It.

The normally lower annular edge of case 8 is inturned to present a continuous annular flange [B which rests directly upon the supporting surface, which is usually some part of a yard or golf course having grass growing thereon. By virtue of the desire tosupply air to the grass within the confines of case 8, the latter is provided with a number of holes 213 through which air for ventilation may pass. These holes should not be formed through the front portion of case 8 because of the possibility of a driven ball striking the edges created when holes 29 are formed.

Floor I6 is inclined from back toward the front of case 8 and has a central opening 22 formed therethrough and a relatively large opening 24 positioned between opening 22 and the relatively wide back portion of the wall of case 8.

The diameter of opening 22 should be the same as the diameter of a conventional golf cup so that when a perfect shot is made, the ball will fall through opening 22 as the weight of the ball forces door 26 to an open position. This door 26 is hingediy mounted as at 28 and a spring 30, forming a part of hinge 23, yieldably maintains the door in the closed position. Spring 30 must be weak enough to permit the weight of a golf ball 14 to open the door when the ball falls directly thereon. Spring 30 must however, be strong enough to preclude opening of the door if the ball should strike the surface of floor l6 around opening 22.

Opening 24 is relatively large and is provided with a pair of doors 32, each of which is hingedly mounted as at 34 and held in the closed position by springs 36, which are wound around. the pintle of hinge 34 in a well-known manner. The strength of these springs 36 should be great enough to hold doors 32 in a closed position and to prevent the doors from opening if a golf ball I4 merely rolls across the face thereof. When a golf ball directly strikes either of doors 32, the latter will spring open and allow ball [4 to drop onto the inclined false bottom 38 that is below floor It.

An escape opening 48 formed through floor 16 at the lowermost portion thereof, is without a covering and designed to allow balls I to freely pass therethrough when they have been dropped into case 8 without striking either door 26 or doors 32.

The face of floor I6 is covered with a resilient material 42 in the nature of sponge rubber or the like that will have the quality of dampening the force of ball l4 so that it will not rebound and bounce completely out of case 8.

When the device is in the normal position, such as illustrated in Fig. 2, floor i6 will direct any collected water toward drain opening 44 so that in the event the apparatus is accidentally left in the open or in the rain, it will not fill with water.

A flag is mounted on case 8 directly behind opening 24. The player should position himself Y so that openings 22 and 24 are in alignment with flag 46 and the point where the ball is struck.

with passage 60 formed between walls 52 and 54,

andwhen a ball passes through opening 22, it will escape from case '8' through opening 58 within full view of the player. Opening-40 directs balls I4 onto false bottom-38 and opening 62 allows balls; I 4 to leave case 8 therethrough;

Gpenings 56,-58 and62 have indicia 64-associatedther'ewith so as to indicate -to-the playerthe accuracy of his-shot. -A perfect shot will pass through opening 22 and thence out throughopening 58; whileashotwhichwould normally place the golf ball in close proximity with the cup on the'green, will pass through opening 24 and out through opening '56 which bearsthe number 2 (Fig. 1). A shot which is relatively good, but not of the nature which would present a good lie, will be "indicated to the player by ball l4 passing out through'number 3 opening, which is designated by the numeral 62'.

OpeningBB-has a ball holder 66*slotted as at 68 andprovided with a gate 10. Openings 56 and 62 have troughs 12 that are inclined downwardly from the respective openings. Each of these troughs 72 has a gate" at the lowermost end thereof and when it is desired to remove balls l4 from these troughs, the gate is pushed open by l4-whereby'they may "be dischargedtherefrom onlyby openingthe gate 14. Troughs 12 will not, therefore,- catch balls that are driven toward the device.

When it is desired to protect the operating parts of the apparatus, thesame may be inverted to allow false bottom 38 to become a roof that will collect any water that may fall thereon. A drain 1 opening 8ll'will allow the escape of collected water, thereby protecting the underlying parts of the assembly. Obviously, when .case 8 is inverted to rest upon its normally upper flanged edge, flag 46is removed.-

In constructing a device such as hereinabove proximately 48 inches.

specified, sheet metal may be employed and the diameter of the open top of case 8 should be ap- All other parts of the assembly should be in proportion to this dimension so that golf balls [4 will operate the moving parts and present to the player an indication of his skill.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is conceivable that devices having physical characteristics other than those shown may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A golf pitch-shot practicing device comprising anopen' top'case having a continuous circumscribing. vertical wall provided with a plurality of openings therethrough; a pair of inclined, spaced apart floors inthe case below the upper edge thereof and above the lower edge of the case; a number of openings formed through the uppermost floor ,walls between the floors to divide the spacetherebetween into a number of ways each in communication with one opening in the floor and onegopening in the wall; and a holder in communication with each opening through the vertical wall respectively.

2.-A golf pitch-shot practicing device comprising an open top 'case having a continuous circumscribing vertical wall provided with a plurality of openings therethrough; a pair of inclined, spaced apart floors in the case below the upper edge thereof and abovej the lower edge of the case; a number of openings formed through the uppermost floor; walls between the floors to divide the space therebetween into a number of ways each in communication with one-opening in the floor and one opening in the wall; and a holder in communication with each opening through the vertical wall respectively, certain of said openings through the uppermost floor having doors thereover to cover the same, said doors having yieldable means for maintaining the same closed until a golf ball falls directly thereon with force enough to operate the yieldable means.

3. A golf pitch-shot practicing device comprising an open top case having a. continuous circumscribing vertical wall provided. with a plurality of openings therethrough; a pair of inclined, spaced apart floors in the case below the upper edge thereof and above the lower edge of the case; a-number of openings formed through the uppermost floor; walls between the floors to divide the space therebetween into a number of wayseach in communication with one opening in the floor and one opening in the wall; and a holder in communication with each opening through the vertical wall respectively, said circumscribing wall having a series of vent holes formed therein between the lower edge thereof and the lowermost floor.

4.'A golf pitch-shot practicing device comprising an open top case having a continuous circumscribing vertical wall provided with a plurality of openings therethrough; a pair of inclined, spaced apart floors in the case below the upper edge thereof and above the lower edge of the case; a number of openings formed through the uppermost'floor; walls between the floors to divide the space therebetween into a number of ways each in communication with one opening in the floor and one opening in the ,wall; and a holder in communication with each opening through the vertical Wall respectively, certain of said openings through the uppermost floor having doors thereover to cover the same, said doors having yieldable means for maintaining the same closed until a golf ball falls directly thereon with force enough to operate the yieldable means, said uppermost floor having a covering of shock absorbing material over all the upper face thereof, said doors being free from said material whereby the force of the ball landing therein will be transmitted to the yieldable means.

5. A golf pitch-shot practicing device comprising an open top cylindrical case having a plurality of openings through the wall thereof between the ends of the case; an inclined floor in the case below the upper edge thereof and above the lower edge of the case; a number of openings formed through the floor; ways joining the openings in the wall and said openings in the floor; and a holder for balls mounted on the outer face of the cylindrical case adjacent to and in communication with each opening in the wall respectively, one of said openings in the floor being on the axis of the case and provided with a deer having means for holding the same closed unless struck by a golf ball with appreciable force.

6. A golf pitch-shot practicing device comprising an open top case having a continuous circumscribing vertical wall provided with a plurality of openings therethrough; a floor having outlet openings therein, below the upper edge of the wall and normally out of sight of the player; a way joining each opening in the Wall with an opening in the floor; and a holder for balls mounted on the outer side of the vertical Wall in communication with each opening in the vertical wall respectively, said holders all being formed to expose a portion of the contained balls to the View of the player whereby to indicate the particular outlet opening the ball entered When the latter was pitched into the case.

KATHERINE I. CONNELL. 

